Fabric take-up apparatus



United States Patent Ernest P. Hudson Spnrtanburg, South Carolina Nov. 21, 1967 Nov. 24, 1970 Deering Milliken Research Corporation Spartanburg, South Carolina a corporation of South Carolina Inventor App]. No. Filed Patented Assignee FABRIC TAKE-UP APPARATUS 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs.

[1.8. CI 242/57; 26/70: 200/6 1 .09 Int. Cl. B65h 25/16, 1 B65h 15/32 Field of Search 242/57,

36-39; 26/70; 30/44; ZOO/61.09

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,827,349 10/1931 Bing 26/70UX 2,390,799 12/1945 Linsenmeyer et al 38/44UX 3,204,054 8/1965 Ouellette 26/70X 3,248,979 5/1966 Stevens 242/57X FOREIGN PATENTS 682,549 11/1952 Great Britain 26/70 Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Attorneys-Norman C. Armitage and H. William Petry ABSTRACT: This invention is directed to a detector which will detect the presence of metal objects in a moving web of material and automatically stop the takeup of such material so that the detected metal can be removed by the operator.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,304

INVENTOR.

ERNEST P. HUDSON BY MR. M ATTORNEY fabric together, a series of guide rolls to guide the sewn fabric and a takeup roll to roll up the long continuous length offabric. In the processing of the shorter lengths of fabric prior to reaching the rolling machine it has been found that the fabric picks up small pieces of metal which, if allowed to remain in the cloth, will imbed themselves in the processing rolls at the finishing plant and tend to cut or tear fabric processed thereafter resulting in a considerable amount ofyards of cloth which is classified as seconds or waste. To remove these particles of metal it seems most appropriate to detect and remove them at the rolling machine since this is the first place where the-fabric is in long enough lengths to efficiently scan the fabric. The problem encountered is that it is necessary not only to detect small fragments of metal but to stop the takeup of the fabric before the fabric with the metal therein is wound onto the takeup roll.

it is therefore an objector this invention to provide a fabric handling'apparatus which 'will readily detect small minute par ticles of metal in the fabric being handled.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a fabric handling apparatus which will detect small minute particles of metal in the fabric and stop the takeup of the machine before the fabric containing metal is rolled onto the takeup roll.

Other objects and advantages of the specification will become clearly apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the new and improved rolling machine; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a simplified control circuit.

Looking now to the drawing and especially to FIG. 1, the overall operation will be explained. Fabric 10, which has been formed into a continuous length by sewing piece lengths together, is delivered to the scray 12 of the rolling machine. From the scray 12 the fabric is delivered to the takeup roll 14 bypassing the fabric over idler rolls l6 and 18, 'under idler roll 20, over idler rolls 22, 24 and 26, through detector rolls 28, 30, through two pair of fabric edge guide rolls 32, through a second set of detector rolls 34, 36 under guide roll 38 and over tension roll 40 to the takeup roll 14. The above-mentioned rolls are mounted on a suitable frame 42.

The detector rolls 30 and 36 are grounded and are held in position by pneumatic snubbers 44 to resiliently secure the insulated rolls for reasons hereinafter explained. It should be noted that in' the preferred form of the invention two sets of detector rolls are employed but obviously one set of rolls can be employed to perform the same operation. in the preferred rolls in position. The detector rolls 28 and'34 are electrically form ofthe invention two sets of rolls are used as a safety measure in case one set of rolls should malfunction.

The takeup roll 14 is driven by a surface drive roller 45 which is in turn driven by a suitable motor 46. Preferably motor 46 has a built-in dynamic brake to provide instantaneous breaking of the takeup roll to prevent rolling of fabric with metal therein onto the roll 14 after the metal has been detected.

' In normal operation the control circuit 48 for the motor 50 will be energized since the switch 53 will be closed and the circuit 52 will be nonconducting since the silicon controlled rectifier 54 will be in nonconducting condition When a piece of metal passes between either of the pair of rolls 28 and 30 or 34 and 36 a circuit is completed between the set of rolls through which it is passed and the silicon controlled rectifier will be turned on to energize the coil 56. ln turn the coil 56 will open the solenoid controlled switch 53 to open the circuit to the motor 46 and the dynamic brake associated therewith will stop the rotation of thetakeup'roll 14 so that the operator can remove the detected piece of metal. After the metal has been removed, push buttonswitch 58 has to be pushed to open the circuit 52 since the silicon controlled rectifier 54 remains conducting until the circuit thereto is broken. The coil 56 then will be deenergized thereby closing switch 53 to restart the motor 46. if desired, a light can be wired into the circuit 52 to provide a visual signal to the operator.

it is seen that the above-described apparatus and method provides a system in which pieces of metal in a moving web of fabric will be automatically detected and the operation he au tomatically halted until such detected metal is removed by an operator. Furthermore, the operation cannot be restarted until the operator physically performs the starting operation, thereby preventing accidental restarting of the operation before the operator has a chance to remove the detected metal.

Although I have described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, l contemplate that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, and l desire to be limited only by the claims I claim:

1. An apparatus to take up a continuous length of fabric comprising: a fabric takeup means, a fabric supply means, means to guide a length of fabric from said supply means to said takeup means, means to drive said takeup means, a pair of pairs of rolls spaced from one another in contact with the fabric held between the'nips of each pair of rolls and control means to control the operation of said drive means, said control means having a first circuit normally conducting electricity when said apparatus in operation, means supplying alternating current to said first circuit, said first circuit including said drive means, said control means having a second circuit normally nonconductive when said apparatus is in operation, means supplying direct current to said second circuit, said second circuit including said pairs of rolls and a silicon controlled rectifier means to energize said second circuit when either of said pairs of rolls becomes conductive upon encountering a metal particle to deenergize said first circuit to deenergize said drive means. 

